Mold forming apparatus with flask having opposed shoulder portions

ABSTRACT

The mold forming apparatus includes a flask, upper and lower pattern plates, a chute for disposing molding medium into the mold chamber formed by the flask and lower pattern plate, and a plurality of fluid actuated cylinders for raising the flask and lower pattern plate to compress the molding medium against an upper pattern plate, and for displacing the completed mold through the flask to an elevated position. The flask includes a shoulder portion along its opposite sides and intermediate its open ends for forming a complementary shoulder portion about the side edges of the mold. When the mold is elevated above the flask, support fingers engage the shoulder portion of the mold for supporting the latter.

Uited States atent [191 Taccone 1 .Fune 5,1973

[54] MOLD FORMING APPARATUS WITH FLASK HAVING OPPOSED SHOULDER PORTIONS [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Bangor Punta Operations, Inc.,

' Greenwich, Conn.

[22] Filed: Feb. 26, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 119,112

Russell W. Taccone, Erie, Pa.

3,103,717 9/1963 Taccone ..l64/192 3,556,195 1/1971 Lund ..164/l6 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 477,397 6/1929 Germany ..164/207 Primary Examiner-Robert D. Baldwin Attorney-Patrick .1. Walsh [57] ABSTRACT The mold forming apparatus includes a flask, upper and lower pattern plates, a chute for disposing molding medium into the mold chamber formed by the flask and lower pattern plate, and a plurality of fluid actuated cylinders for raising the flask and lower pattern plate to compress the molding medium against an upper pattern plate, and for displacing the completed RM, 2 RP mold through the flask to an elevated position. The flask includes a shoulder portion along its opposite References Cited sides and intermediate its open ends for forming a complementary shoulder portion about the side edges UNITED STATES PATENTS of the mold. When the mold is elevated above the 1,206,150 11/1916 Slick ..164/406X flask, support fingers engage the shoulder portion of 2,499,980 3/1950 Stokes et al. ..25/90 X the mold for supporting the latter. 3,397,424 8/1968 Rovde et al ..25/12O X 2,102,377 12/1937 Nicholls et al ..l64/197 10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Patented June 5, 1973 3,736,978

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fig: 2

INVENTOR.

Patented June 5, 1973 3,736,978

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fig. 4

5003544 /1/ Z'L (aA/E INVENTOR.

MOLD FORMING APPARATUS WITH FLASK HAVING OPPOSED SHOULDER PORTIONS The present invention relates to mold forming apparatus, methods for forming the molds and to the molds per se. The present invention particularly relates to apparatus for and methods of forming molds which are readily supported and transported from the mold forming machine for flaskless molding and to the molds formed thereby.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In green sand molding, it has been the practice to use molding chambers known as flasks in which sand is molded for the purpose of casting various metal products. For proper casting techniques, it is conventionally necessary for the casting to remain within the flask and sand mold in order to cool thereby avoiding surface hardening of the casting which would occur if the casting was prematurely exposed in a semi-molten condition. Because of this required residence time, it is necessary in continuous casting operations to have a large number of flasks in order to carry out the molding, casting and cooling operation. This arrangement involves considerable expense in capital equipment without improving the quality of the casting formed by the casting operation.

Efforts have previously been made to develop flaskless molding techniques wherein the molten metal is poured into a sand mold without the necessity of a flask surrounding the molds while casting. The flaskless molding techniques usually involve the filling of a mold chamber, defined by a flask and pattern plates closing the opposite open ends of the flask, with sand, compressing the sand to form the mold, and removing the sand mold from the flask for disposition on a support, often a conveyor, whereupon the molten metal can be immediately poured into the mold and the casting formed. The molds thus formed normally have smooth sides and are not particularly well suited for being grasped and lifted by a conveying device. In one type of sand molding machine, metal is poured into the mold as it is conveyed along a support surface by a mold ejector which forms a part of the mold forming machine and which pushes a series of molds along a conveyor toward a mold breaking station whereat the molds are crumbled and the castings broken out.

It is oftentimes desirable that the mold forming apparatus continue to form molds while casting operations; i.e., the pouring of the molten metal into the molds, is suspensed or delayed, or conducted at a site removed from the mold forming apparatus. For example, it is often desirable to form molds that can be stored for future use or molds wherein the metal can be poured in a separate fixture remote from the forming apparatus. The transport of molds from mold forming apparatus has, prior to the present invention, not been accomplished by conventional conveying devices, such as those that would grip and carry the sand mold, due to the fragility of the mold nor is it conventional to remove the mold through the top portion of the mold forming machine.

The present invention provides a mold forming apparatus suitable for use with hot box, CO, process, or cold set and a method for forming molds wherein the molds are elevated to a position above the mold forming apparatus and when elevated, can be readily engaged by a transport mechanism for conveyance to another casting site or to a storage area for future use whereby many of the problems associated with removal and transport of sand mold from the mold forming apparatus to sites other than the metal casting apparatus normally associated with mold forming apparatus of this type are eliminated. To these ends, there is provided a machine frame carrying an open ended flask mounted on a plurality of vertically disposed guide rods for vertical movement between a sand receiving lower position and a mold forming elevated position. The flask is polygonal in shape and has a pair of shoulders extending along a pair of opposite inner wall portions intermediate the open ends of the flask. In the lower position of the flask, a lower pattern plate closes the lower end of the flask and a chute, disposed over the machine frame, deposits sand into the mold chamber formed by the flask and lower pattern plate. An upper pattern plate, initially disposed in a retracted position to one side of the machine, is then moved into vertical registry over the mold chamber. Flask and lower pattern plate cylinders are then actuated to move the flask, the lower pattern plate, and the sand in the mold chamber upwardly to compress the sand in the mold chamber against the upper pattern plate to form the mold. The cure cycle for the appropriate process is initiated. Once the mold is cured, the shoulder portions of the flask forming complementary shoulder portions on the mold, the flask and lower pattern plate containing the mold are lowered away from the upper plate and the latter is retracted to its laterally off-set position. To remove the mold from the flask, fluid actuated cylinders push the mold and lower pattern plate through the flask to a position where fingers, which form a part of a mold conveying or transport mechanism, engage the undersides of the shoulder portions of the mold. The lower pattern plate is then withdrawn from a support position below the mold back to its initial position whereby the mold is entirely supported for transport by the fingers.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved mold forming apparatus for flaskless molding.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for forming flaskless molds wherein the molds can be readily and easily supported upon discharge from the mold forming apparatus.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a molding machine particularly suited to the use of hot box, CO process, or cold set molding.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved flaskless mold specifically configured for ready and easy transport.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus for forming and methods of making flaskless molds wherein the molds are readily and easily stripped from the flask by pushing the molds through the flask to positions elevated above the mold forming apparatus.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved mold forming apparatus for flaskless molding which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and simple and efficient in use.

These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification, appended claims and drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1-6 are vertical cross-sectional views of the mold forming apparatus hereof illustrating the various stages of the mold forming operation.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated a mold forming apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention adapted to the CCl process generally indicated at 10 and including a support frame generally indicated 11 having a base 12 and oppositely disposed walls 14 and 16 respectively upstanding from base 12. Wall 16 supports at its upper end a pair of arms 18 projecting to one side of frame 11. Arms 18 carry fluid, preferably hydraulic, actuated cylinders 20, the piston rods 22 of cylinders 26 carrying an upper pattern plate 24. Cylinders 20 mount upper pattern plate 24 for movement between a retracted position to one side of the opening between walls 14 and 16, as il- I lustrated in FIG. 1, and a position disposed in the opening between walls 14 and 116 in vertical register over a flask 26 as illustrated in FIG. 2.

A pair of vertically extending guide rods 28 and 30 are secured to and along the inner faces of walls 14 and 16 of frame 11. Flask 26 includes a pair of outwardly projecting vertically spaced lugs 32 and 34 having openings receiving the guide rods whereby flask 26 is movable vertically along a predetermined path. Flask 26 is open at both its upper and lower ends and is preferably rectangular in cross-section having discrete sides although the particular cross-section of the flask may be varied as desired. A lower pattern plate 36 is received within flask 26 and closes the lower open end of flask 26. Lower pattern plate 36 is supported within flask 26 by a pair of fluid actuated cylinders 38 suitably supported inside lower flask walls 27, the operation of 7 cylinders 38 being described hereinafter.

As best seen in FIG. 1, lower pattern plate 36 is normally disposed intermediate the ends of flask 26 and the upper face of lower pattern plate 36 and the side walls of flask 26 above lower pattern plate 36 form a mold chamber indicated at 40. A chute 42 is disposed above the opening between walls 14 and 16 in vertical registry over mold chamber 40, chute 42 lying in communication with suitable batching equipment, not shown, whereby sand can be dispensed from chute 42 for disposition in mold chamber 46 as described hereinafter.

A pair of the oppositely disposed walls 44 of flask 26 and forming a portion of mold chamber 40 are stepped to provide a pair of upwardly facing shoulders 46. That is to say, shoulders 46 are formed along opposite wall portions 44 of flask 26 whereby complementary shoulders, indicated at 48 in FIG. 4, are formed on mold M when the latter is formed in a manner to be described.

As illustrated, a cylinder 50 is carried by frame 11 and is disposed centrally below lower pattern plate 36 for the purpose of squeezing the sand in mold chamber 40 against upper pattern plate 24 in a manner to be described.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 are passageways 51 with suitable flexible connections 52 to a carbon dioxide source not shown, in both the upper and lower pattern plates 24, and 36 for the introduction of the C gas into the molding medium after the mold M has been formed. This CO process is well known for strengthening the mold.

As an alternate, as shown in FIG. 3a, encapsulated heating rods 53 may be inserted into the upper and lower pattern plates 24 and 36 for heating the mold if it is desired to use the hot box process for strengthening the mold.

In utilizing the apparatus hereof, upper pattern plate 24 is retracted to the position illustrated in FIG. 1 such that sand can be dispensed from chute 42 directly into mold chamber 40. Cylinders 20 are then actuated to laterally displace upper pattern plate 24 into a mold forming position in spaced vertical registry over mold forming chamber 40 and between walls 14 and 16 of frame 11 as illustrated in FIG. 2. Referring now to FIG. 3, cylinder 50 is actuated to elevate flask 26 together with lower pattern plate 36 and the sand contained in mold chamber 40, such that the upper edge of flask 26 abuts upper patternplate 24 with the latter closing off the upper end of mold forming chamber 40. The force for lighting the flask 26 is transmitted from the lower pattern plate 36 through the cylinders 38 to the flask. When the flask meets a resistance, say the upper pattern plate 24, then the cylinders 38 discharge the fluid entrapped in their rod ends over a relief valve (not shown) which permits the lower pattern plate to move in relation to the flask. Continued actuation of the central squeeze cylinder 50 urges the lower pattern plate 36 toward upper pattern plate 24 thereby to compress the sand in molding chamber 40 to form the mold. Also, it will be appreciated that the pattern plates 24 and 36 impress a mold cavity C in opposite faces of mold M when the pattern plates are squeezed together. (When two of such molds are disposed in a butting relation, the facing mold cavities C form a chamber into which the molten metal is poured.) It will be appreciated that the shoulders 46 form complementary shoulders 48 on the opposite side walls of mold M. After the mold is formed, the flask 26, lower pattern plate 36, and mold M are lowered toward the initial position thereof (FIG. 1) away from upper pattern plate 24.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4-5, cylinder 20 is then actuated to retract upper pattern plate 24 laterally from its position in vertical registry above mold chamber 40 to its initial position laterally offset from the opening between wall 14 and 16 of frame 11 as seen in FIG. 1. Cylinders 38 are then actuated to elevate lower pattern plate 36, which now carries mold M, above the flask 26. That is to say, lower pattern plate 36 is pushed through flask 26 by actuation of cylinders 38..

A pair of mold removal fingers 54 are disposed above frame 11 on opposite sides of the mold in the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 4. The mold removal fingers comprise L-shaped members pivoted intermediate their ends as at 56. When the mold has obtained the elevated position illustrated in FIG. 5, mold removal fingers 54 are pivoted inwardly, by means not shown, such that their lower inwardly extending tips 58 engage along the underside of shoulders 48 formed on the sides of mold M. It will be appreciated that the mold removal fingers 54 may comprise a portion of a conveyor system whereby the molds can be removed from the mold forming apparatus and transported to another casting site or transported to a storage site for future use or for other purposes as desired. As illustrated in FIG. 6, cylinders 38 are then actuated to retract lower pattern plate 36 downwardly to its initial position illustrated in FIG. 1 within flask 26 leaving mold M supported by mold removal fingers 54. The mold forming apparatus as illustrated in FIG. 6 is thus returned to its initial position wherein the formation of an additional mold following the sequence of operations described above with respect to FIGS. 1 through 6 is repeated.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What isclaimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. Mold forming apparatus comprising, a first plate, a second plate, at least one of said plates having a pattern formed on its face, a flask, said first plate and said flask forming a mold chamber, said flask being polygonal in cross section, and having shoulder portions which extend along opposed sides thereof, means for depositing mold forming material into said mold chamber, means for moving one of said plates toward the other of said plates to compress the mold forming material between said plates and thereby to form a mold having opposed shoulder portions complementary to the shoulder portions carried by said flask, and means for discharging the mold from said flask including means for engaging the underside of the opposed shoulder portions of the mold.

2. Mold forming apparatus according to claim 1 including means mounting said flask and said first plate for conjoint movement toward and away from said second plate, said moving means including means for moving said first plate and said flask toward said second plate for compressing the mold forming material between said first and second plates.

3. Mold forming apparatus according to claim 2 including means for moving said first plate and said flask and including the mold carried thereby away from said second plate.

4. Mold forming apparatus according to claim 2 including means for moving said first plate at least partially through said flask sufficiently to at least locate the opposed shoulder portions of the mold outwardly of said flask.

5. Mold forming apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said flask comprises an enclosure open at upper and lower ends, said first and second plates comprising respectively lower and upper plates for closing the ends of said flask, means mounting said flask and said lower plate for conjoint movement in a generally vertical direction toward and away from said upper plate, said moving means including means for moving said lower plate and said flask toward said upper plate for compressing the mold forming material between said upper and lower plates, means for moving said lower plate and said flask and including the mold carried thereby away from said upper plate to thereby space the mold from said upper plate, and means for moving said lower plate at least partially through said flask sufficiently to at least locate the opposed shoulder portions of the mold outwardly of said flask.

6. Mold forming apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said material depositing means includes a chute disposed over the mold chamber and adapted to deposit material into said flask onto said lower plate, means for moving said upper plate between first and second positions, said upper plate in said first position being laterally offset from said flask and lower plate to permit deposit of the mold forming material from said chute into said chamber, said upper plate in said second position lying in vertical registry over the upper end of said flask.

7. Mold forming apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said engaging means includes a pair of pivoted fingers disposed above said flask and adapted to pivot into a position engaging the opposed shoulder portions formed on the mold to support the latter.

8. Mold forming apparatus comprising, a first plate, a second plate, at least one of said plates having a pattern formed on its face, a flask, said first plate and said flask forming a mold chamber, said flask being polygonal in cross section, and having shoulder portions which extend along opposed sides thereof, means for depositing mold forming material into said mold chamber, means for moving one of said plates toward the other of said plates to compress the mold forming material between said plates and thereby to form a mold having shoulder portions complementary to the shoulder portions carried by said flask, means for discharging the mold from said flask including means for engaging the underside of the opposed shoulder portions of the mold, and means associated with at least one of said plates for strengthening the mold.

9. The mold forming apparatus of claim 8 wherein said mold strengthening means comprises at least one passageway through at least one of said plates through which carbon dioxide may be introduced into the mold.

10. The mold forming apparatus of claim 8 wherein said mold strengthening means comprises at least one heating rod encased in at least one of said plates. 

1. Mold forming apparatus cOmprising, a first plate, a second plate, at least one of said plates having a pattern formed on its face, a flask, said first plate and said flask forming a mold chamber, said flask being polygonal in cross section, and having shoulder portions which extend along opposed sides thereof, means for depositing mold forming material into said mold chamber, means for moving one of said plates toward the other of said plates to compress the mold forming material between said plates and thereby to form a mold having opposed shoulder portions complementary to the shoulder portions carried by said flask, and means for discharging the mold from said flask including means for engaging the underside of the opposed shoulder portions of the mold.
 2. Mold forming apparatus according to claim 1 including means mounting said flask and said first plate for conjoint movement toward and away from said second plate, said moving means including means for moving said first plate and said flask toward said second plate for compressing the mold forming material between said first and second plates.
 3. Mold forming apparatus according to claim 2 including means for moving said first plate and said flask and including the mold carried thereby away from said second plate.
 4. Mold forming apparatus according to claim 2 including means for moving said first plate at least partially through said flask sufficiently to at least locate the opposed shoulder portions of the mold outwardly of said flask.
 5. Mold forming apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said flask comprises an enclosure open at upper and lower ends, said first and second plates comprising respectively lower and upper plates for closing the ends of said flask, means mounting said flask and said lower plate for conjoint movement in a generally vertical direction toward and away from said upper plate, said moving means including means for moving said lower plate and said flask toward said upper plate for compressing the mold forming material between said upper and lower plates, means for moving said lower plate and said flask and including the mold carried thereby away from said upper plate to thereby space the mold from said upper plate, and means for moving said lower plate at least partially through said flask sufficiently to at least locate the opposed shoulder portions of the mold outwardly of said flask.
 6. Mold forming apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said material depositing means includes a chute disposed over the mold chamber and adapted to deposit material into said flask onto said lower plate, means for moving said upper plate between first and second positions, said upper plate in said first position being laterally offset from said flask and lower plate to permit deposit of the mold forming material from said chute into said chamber, said upper plate in said second position lying in vertical registry over the upper end of said flask.
 7. Mold forming apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said engaging means includes a pair of pivoted fingers disposed above said flask and adapted to pivot into a position engaging the opposed shoulder portions formed on the mold to support the latter.
 8. Mold forming apparatus comprising, a first plate, a second plate, at least one of said plates having a pattern formed on its face, a flask, said first plate and said flask forming a mold chamber, said flask being polygonal in cross section, and having shoulder portions which extend along opposed sides thereof, means for depositing mold forming material into said mold chamber, means for moving one of said plates toward the other of said plates to compress the mold forming material between said plates and thereby to form a mold having shoulder portions complementary to the shoulder portions carried by said flask, means for discharging the mold from said flask including means for engaging the underside of the opposed shoulder portions of the mold, and means associated with at least one of said plates for strengthening the mold.
 9. The mold forming apparatus of claim 8 wherein said mold strengthening means comprises at least one passageway through at least one of said plates through which carbon dioxide may be introduced into the mold.
 10. The mold forming apparatus of claim 8 wherein said mold strengthening means comprises at least one heating rod encased in at least one of said plates. 